Set up charges for checkout and renewal

To set up charges for checkout and renewal:

1. Enable the fee description in Polaris Administration:

1. Open the Fee Descriptions policy table for the organization that is setting up check-out or renewal charge policies.
2. Set the fee description Item charge for check-out/renewal to Yes. This setting displays the fee description on views and dialog boxes that list charges on the patron account. The charge transactions are logged with the Fee Description code -11. They are included in all Polaris toolbar reports of charge transactions and are available for reporting in Polaris SimplyReports.
3. Select File > Save.

For more information about working with this table, see Defining Fee Descriptions.

2. Double-click the Patron Services parameter Check-out: Charge options to enable the charge and specify the appropriate material types, charge amounts, and patron codes.

The parameter is available at the system, library, and branch levels. To see the patron services parameters list, click the appropriate level- System, Library, Branch.

The Check Out: Charge options dialog box opens.

 

3. Select Enable.
4. Select a material type to which a check-out charge should be applied.
5. Specify the amount to be charged for the selected material type and click Apply.

You can also click several material types or Select All, specify a single amount, and click Apply.

Note:
It is possible to select a material type and leave the amount at $0.00, or to set an amount for a selected material type and then uncheck that material type. In either case, no charge will be applied.

6. Select the patron codes that should be charged the specified check-out charges. You can also click Select All.
7. Select one option for applying charges:

• Check-out only - Apply the charge only at check-out
• Check-out and Renewal - Apply the charge at check-out and again if the item is renewed
• Renewal only - Apply the charge only when the item is renewed

8. If you want a message to appear when a staff member attempts to check out or renew a chargeable item to a patron, select Prompt in Staff Client. For this option, the system uses the setting of the transacting workstation’s log-on branch.
9. Click OK.

Related Information

• Polaris ExpressCheck transactions - Your charge policies also apply to checkout and renewal from Polaris ExpressCheck. You can choose to allow the transactions and have the patron’s account charged appropriately when the transactions occur, or stop the transactions and display a message. The option is available in the SelfCheck unit parameter Polaris ExpressCheck: Blocking conditions (Item Blocks tabbed page). For more information, see the Polaris ExpressCheck Administration Guide.
• SIP Self-Check transactions - Your charge policies also apply to checkout and renewal from SIP self-check units. You can choose to allow checkout and have the patron’s account charged appropriately when the transactions occur, allow renewal and have the patron’s account charged, automatically charge when the patron chooses to renew all items out, or stop the transactions and display a message. For more information, see Setting Up SIP Self-Check Circulation.